Summary
- Disney+ has reportedly had a recent increase in viewership for Daredevil and The Punisher.
- The arrival of the Echo TV show has reportedly led to a positive impact on the analytics for Daredevil, The Punisher, and Hawkeye.
- Incorporating Marvel's Netflix shows into the MCU timeline that can be found on Disney+ was a wise move before Echo with these results in mind.
Shortly after Marvel's Netflix shows were laid out in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline on Disney+, the streaming service has reportedly seen a major bump, suggesting this move was wisely timed. When Echo dropped all of its episodes on Disney+, the Disney-branded streaming platform ended up getting a lot of attention from the MCU audience. Suddenly, all of the Marvel-Netflix shows were listed in the MCU timeline, showing specifically where they took place during past phases.
After the arrival of the Echo TV show, according to The Hollywood Reporter, both Daredevil seasons 1-2, Hawkeye, and The Punisher season 1 got boosted in their analytics by the audience. This shows that the previously mysterious decision to move the Netflix Marvel shows into the Disney+ MCU timeline - despite not being confirmed as fully part of the official canon - was a smart move, as it meant that viewers who became curious about The Defenders saga due to Echo containing references to it would then have an easier time finding what they wanted.
Why Marvel's Netflix Shows May Never Be Fully Canon
Even though Marvel Studios have yet to properly comment on how canon the Netflix shows are, the MCU audience who were devoted to the Marvel-Netflix shows should be prepared that not everything can be carried over to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios have seemingly made it clear that not all elements of The Defenders saga will be canon to the larger MCU timeline, especially with some recent casting moves like recasting Vanessa Fisk.
When looking at the overall timeline, Captain America: Civil War is a prime example of the issues with making Marvel's Netflix shows fully canon, as it featured Luke Cage star Alfre Woodard, this time playing a new character named Miriam Sharpe. A similar scenario crops up with Luke Cage when it comes to Mahershala Ali, who played Cornell Stokes, and is set to play Blade in his own solo movie. If rumors are to be true, The Punisher's Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who played Microchip in the Netflix drama, will potentially be playing The Thing in the Fantastic Four reboot movie.
Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle from The Punisher and Daredevil is set to star alongside Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.
Time will tell if Kevin Feige and other Marvel Studios executives will ever make an official statement on what now is and isn't canon from The Defenders saga. That said, the upcoming MCU movies and TV shows will likely speak for themselves in terms of what is to be considered part of their larger timeline. Either way, the context of the Netflix shows could still prove helpful to Marvel Cinematic Universe fans in terms of showing the history behind characters like Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, even if aspects of these stories may be altered going forward.
Source: THR
